Need Laws Against Farm Abuse

Letter to the Editor

After attending the event detailed in the article "Ag Gag Laws, Industrial Farm Abuse Focus of Yale Forum" [Sept. 24, courant.com], it's obvious to me that many players in today's meat and dairy industry have betrayed the traditional farming value of good stewardship.

It's unconscionable that mother pigs and hens used for eggs are locked for their entire lives in cages so small they can hardly move. Many Connecticut residents are responding by by simply choosing plant-based meals, a noble and important trend. But we must also demand systemwide reforms through legislation. It's long past time that our great state joins with our neighbors in Maine and Rhode Island in prohibiting some of the worst abuses of farm animals, such as gestation crates and battery cages. I urge legislators to move on this issue this coming session.

Sue Kautz, Haddam

The writer, a registered nurse, is a member of the Connecticut State Council of the Humane Society of the U.S.